Germany
Write the first paragraph of your page here. Language Tacitus: The Germans have “ancient songs, which is the only kind of history and tradition they have,” to celebrate the origins and founders of their people Germania 2.2 = RECW 15.16, p. 368. Tacitus relates a tradition that tells of Odysseus’ travels to Germany. The hero established the city Asciburgium. Odysseus also dedicated an altar, “with the name of his father Laertes added,” and the altar “was since found in the same place.” They say that monuments and certain tumuli inscribed with Greek letters still exist on the boundaries of Germany and Rhaetia” Germania 3.2 = RECW 15.16, p. 368. The Aestii “follow the rites and habits of the Suebi, though their language is closer to the Britons” Germania 45.2 = RECW 15.16, p. 380. Plutarch: The Teutones and Ambrones advanced against Marius. They “appeared to be boundless in number and horrible to look upon, and completely unlike anyone else in their speech or uproar.” The sounds they made “were totally unusual and beastlike” Life of Marius 15.5, 16.2 = RECW 15.18, p. 383. The Ligurians were the first Italians to march against the Ambrones for they understood their language. They shouted back at the Ambrones claiming the name Ambrones as the anme of their original race Life of Marius 19.4 = RECW 15.18, p. 384. Geography, Land, and Climate Tacitus states that Germany is separated from their neighbors by the Rhine and Danube, with the Ocean surrounding the rest of Germany. The Rhine turns west and connects to the bordering Ocean, while the Danube supposedly flows from Mount Abnoba to the Pontic Sea as well as a swampland Germania 1 = RECW 15.16 pp. 367-368. On the whole Tacitus considers Germany to be full of forests and swamps, and is more humid near Gaul and windier near Noricum. The land is quite fertile for grain crops and is good for herds, however fruit trees cannot grow there and the herds are generally undersized. Supposedly, there are neither gold nor silver veins in Germany, but Tacitus does not wish to assert this entirely. Iron is also apparently not very abundant in Germany Germania 5-6 = RECW 15.16 p. 369. Physical Appearance and Clothing Caesar: The only physical description Caesar provides regarding the German tribes is that constant hunting led to an increase in their physical strength and their enormous size. He also says that they are extremely tough as they “accustom their bodies to wearing little except pelts and leave the majority of their bodies exposed even in the most frigid of places” Bellum Gallicum 4.1 = RECW 15.4. Tacitus: According to Tacitus the Britons have a very diverse appearance. He connects the, “Red hair and large limbs of the people inhabiting Caledonia,” to Germanic origins. He also connects the dark skin and curly hair of the Silurians to Spanish origins Agricola 11 = RECW 15.15. He also describes the entire Germanic population as having a similar body build as well as bright red hair, blue eyes and a huge body. Additionally, they wore cloaks that were held together by either a brooch, or thorns. They wear the skins of wild beasts; some decorate these skins. Women dress the same as men, but more often wore linen cloaks Germania 17 = RECW 15.16, p. 371. At German funerals there are neither clothes nor incensed on the fire. Only a man’s own arms and a horse Germania 27 = RECW 18, p. 373. Tacitus also describes the Chatti who do not shave their beards. They also wear an iron ring until they kill an enemy in battle Germania, 31 = RECW 15.18, p. 375. Religion and Customs Caesar: The Belgians who dwell in the part of Gaul nearest to the Germans just across the Rhine are constantly engaged in battle with their neighbors (the Germans) Bellum Gallicum 1.4 = RECW p. 346. Of the Germans, the Suebi are the greatest and most warlike. They are made up of 100 villages, each of which commits 1000 men each year to the efforts of war, while the remainder till the fields in order to interrupt neither the agricultural nor the military cycle of the year. The Suebi known nothing of private or individual property, and people do not remain on the same tract of land for longer than a year. They allow traders to visit them regularly so that they might sell the spoils of war, as opposed to having a desire to import foreign things. They consider the greatest praise for a people to be that the land around their borders is uninhabited as far as possible, and the Suebi supposedly had no neighbors on one side for roughly 600 miles due to their status. Caesar: The Belgians who dwell in the part of Gaul nearest to the Germans just across the Rhine are constantly engaged in battle with their neighbors (the Germans). Bellum Gallicum 1.4 = RECW p. 346. Of the Germans, the Suebi are the greatest and most warlike. They are made up of 100 villages, each of which commits 1000 men each year to the efforts of war, while the remainder till the fields in order to interrupt neither the agricultural nor the military cycle of the year. The Suebi known nothing of private or individual property, and people do not remain on the same tract of land for longer than a year. They allow traders to visit them regularly so that they might sell the spoils of war, as opposed to having a desire to import foreign things. They consider the greatest praise for a people to be that the land around their borders is uninhabited as far as possible, and the Suebi supposedly had no neighbors on one side for roughly 600 miles due to their status. Caesar: The Belgians who dwell in the part of Gaul nearest to the Germans just across the Rhine are constantly engaged in battle with their neighbors (the Germans) Bellum Gallicum 1.4 = RECW p. 346. Of the Germans, the Suebi are the greatest and most warlike. They are made up of 100 villages, each of which commits 1000 men each year to the efforts of war, while the remainder till the fields in order to interrupt neither the agricultural nor the military cycle of the year. The Suebi known nothing of private or individual property, and people do not remain on the same tract of land for longer than a year. They allow traders to visit them regularly so that they might sell the spoils of war, as opposed to having a desire to import foreign things. They consider the greatest praise for a people to be that the land around their borders is uninhabited as far as possible, and the Suebi supposedly had no neighbors on one side for roughly 600 miles due to their status. Caesar: The Belgians who dwell in the part of Gaul nearest to the Germans just across the Rhine are constantly engaged in battle with their neighbors (the Germans) Bellum Gallicum 1.4 = RECW p. 346. Of the Germans, the Suebi are the greatest and most warlike. They are made up of 100 villages, each of which commits 1000 men each year to the efforts of war, while the remainder till the fields in order to interrupt neither the agricultural nor the military cycle of the year. The Suebi known nothing of private or individual property, and people do not remain on the same tract of land for longer than a year. They allow traders to visit them regularly so that they might sell the spoils of war, as opposed to having a desire to import foreign things. They consider the greatest praise for a people to be that the land around their borders is uninhabited as far as possible, and the Suebi supposedly had no neighbors on one side for roughly 600 miles due to their status. Caesar: The Belgians who dwell in the part of Gaul nearest to the Germans just across the Rhine are constantly engaged in battle with their neighbors (the Germans). Bellum Gallicum 1.4 = RECW p. 346. Of the Germans, the Suebi are the greatest and most warlike. They are made up of 100 villages, each of which commits 1000 men each year to the efforts of war, while the remainder till the fields in order to interrupt neither the agricultural nor the military cycle of the year. The Suebi known nothing of private or individual property, and people do not remain on the same tract of land for longer than a year. They allow traders to visit them regularly so that they might sell the spoils of war, as opposed to having a desire to import foreign things. They consider the greatest praise for a people to be that the land around their borders is uninhabited as far as possible, and the Suebi supposedly had no neighbors on one side for roughly 600 miles due to their status. Food The Suebi – a German tribe- have a diet that consists of mostly milk and beef which allows them to spend most of their time hunting. This alongside the freedness of their lifestyle, and daily exercise has made the Suebi the greatest and most warlike tribe of all of Germany Caesar Bellum Gallcium 4.1= RECW 15.4 pp. 346-347. Germans do not allow wine to be imported because they think that it causes men to be soft and weak Caesar Bellum Gallcium 4.2= RECW 15.4 p. 347. Germans do not apply themselves to agriculture. The focus of their diet consists of milk, cheese and meat Caesar Bellum Gallicum 6.22 = RECW 15.6 p. 356 The land is mostly bristling with forests or unhealthy with swamps. Where it is agriculturally viable, they are fertile in grains but the fruit trees are unable to bear fruit. The herds are mostly undersized Tacitus Germania 5 = RECW 15.16 p. 369. The Germans eat after bathing, and every man has his own seat and table. It is considered culturally ok if one drinks continuously all day and night Tacitus Germania 22 = RECW 15.16 p. 373. The “Bathanattian” will go beserk over food and drink or other necessities if they cannot get their hands on bronze or iron Athenaeus, Deipnosophistes 6.234a-c = RECW 15.19 p. 387. Notes